SafeAuto Insurance swept Myrtle Beach last week in search of its next advertising star. The South Carolina city, known best for its inviting atmosphere and ideal for family vacations, turned up some entertaining talent both local and visiting.

Three Do The Jingle hopefuls show off their song-and-dance combination.

Hurricane Emily didn’t deter travelers from the beach and definitely didn’t scare Do The Jingle 2012 hopefuls from taking their shot at the grand prize of $5000 and a starring role in a SafeAuto commercial. Some contestants played SafeAuto jingles on their guitars while others simply showcased their voices and sang a capella.

A few jinglers who were filmed at the main audition site were even featured on the evening news; Carolina Live on ABC Channel 15 picked up the story and came out to record footage and interview contestants and the SafeAuto media team.

Upcoming auditions for the final four cities on the Do The Jingle tour have been gaining publicity. The turnout in Phoenix, Houston, Nashville and Columbus is sure to be great as well. To film your jingle in one of the remaining casting cities or for more information, contact Jason Parks at (614) 944-7306 or visit DoTheJingle.com.

The first stop for SafeAuto’s 2012 Do The Jingle contest is complete. The company’s media team visited Chicago, Illinois and returned to Columbus bearing some amazing footage. The wide assortment of entertainers in the Windy City offered a melting pot of new jingles; participants performed raps, ballads and even drum beats outlining the advantages of having automobile coverage by SafeAuto Insurance.

This talented drummer spotted SafeAuto on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue and amazed on-lookers with his version of the jingle.

The first of the seven-city search for the next SafeAuto advertising star proved nothing short of successful. Many people made appointments to sing their best rendition of the SafeAuto jingle, while some were able to come up with jingles on the spot like the young percussionist pictured at the ­­­­­left.

Multiple crooners were eager to show off their talents and paired their participation in the Do The Jingle contest with auditions for NBC’s second season of their singing competition “The Voice”. Hopefuls waiting at the Navy Pier offered their fantastic voices and produced some entertaining 30-to-60-second tunes.

This is the fourth annual Do The Jingle contest for the company, and voting for this year’s competition is expected to far exceed that of last year’s. Public votes will decide the grand prize winner, who will receive a $5000 advertising contract with SafeAuto.

This week the team visits Myrtle Beach, with Philadelphia close behind this weekend, in hopes of an even more successful casting and the continued participation of a vast array of artists and entertainers.

The SafeAuto team will visit the following cities for the remainder of the contest:

· Chicago: July 15-16, 2011
· Myrtle Beach: August 3-4, 2011
· Philadelphia: August 5-7, 2011
· Phoenix: September 8-10, 2011
· Houston: October 7-9, 2011
· Nashville: October 22-23, 2011
· Columbus: November 5-6, 2011

This past weekend, SafeAuto Insurance sponsored the Summer Night Cruise-In and Indian Uprising GTO car shows in Dublin, Ohio. The car show, held by the GTO Association of Central Ohio, had a great turn-out with over 100 cars registered for the competition.

The car show provided weekend-long entertainment including a band,  hundreds of classic cars and even NASCAR’s Johnny Sauter.

People visited from all around to see the classic automobiles on display and were also treated to a concert by the Rezes Hall Band on Friday. The music must have had some effect because many GTO lovers took a shot at a $5000 advertising contract by singing the 1-800-SAFEAUTO jingle for the 2012 Do The Jingle contest. Johnny Sauter even showed up to connect with fellow drivers and automobile enthusiasts. The SafeAuto Racing Team driver brought the #13 NASCAR truck and offered autographs to fans on Saturday.

This was a fruitful combination for SafeAuto because the event not only offered the insurance company an opportunity to mingle with locals and help an organization, but all proceeds from the car show went to two great causes: Operation Buckeye and the Society to Prevent Blindness.